


A Bargain

by ashilrak



Category: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
Genre: Moriarty is Alive, Post Reichenbach, Sherlock is too
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-21
Updated: 2013-01-21
Packaged: 2017-11-26 09:41:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/649214
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ashilrak/pseuds/ashilrak
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"He could feel his body tense before he could stop himself. So this was Mycroft Holmes. The man who had played into Jim’s hand perfectly, the man who was at fault for the death of his own brother.</p><p>How touching."</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Bargain

**Author's Note:**

  * For [aizercul](https://archiveofourown.org/users/aizercul/gifts).



> Beta read by the ever so lovely ChalcedonyRivers

Why was he here?

Well, he knew why – he just wasn’t exactly sure about how. 

The official excuse was that his name had been brought to the surface during a recent investigation. He hadn’t been involved in the investigation in any way – it was a simple mishap. It was just that when his file had come to their attention, it had brought up more questions than it had answered. 

Of course it did.

Jim was supposed to have taken care of that. Jim had taken care of that.

This man was obviously more than he appeared to be; there was no way that he could have possibly gotten a hold of his file.

It has been deleted. 

Permanently. 

He had made sure of that. 

But these men, they knew something. What that something was, he didn’t know – but he was sure as hell going to find out.

Not long after he had been lead to the room, a middle-aged man wearing a three piece suit walked in.

“Let me guess, you occupy a minor position in the British government.”

The man sat down in the empty chair, and leaned back staring at him for moment or two before replying.

“Might I ask how you came by this information?”

“No.”

“Ah, Mr. Moran, you remind me of someone you know.”

He sat up a little straighter at that. 

“Who?”

“That is something that I’m afraid I can’t tell you. You see, I’ve been through this exact situation before. I followed plan A, and look where that lead me. I can’t make the same mistake twice, you know.”

“Have you really? This exact situation?”

“Yes I have. You may be familiar with him – a certain James Moriarty.”

He could feel his body tense before he could stop himself. So this was Mycroft Holmes. The man who had played into Jim’s hand perfectly, the man who was at fault for the death of his own brother.

How touching.

“Ah, yes. Thank you for that, by the way. We couldn’t have done it without you. You, Mr. Holmes, deserve only my sincere gratitude.”

Holmes visibly tensed for a moment before relaxing once more.

“So, you are aware of that particular happenstance. I must admit that it didn’t go as planned.”

“Things rarely do.”

He glanced around the room for a moment before staring pointedly at the mirror to the left of them.

Holmes gave a miniscule nod before leaning back into his chair.

“I’m sure you’re aware that you were brought in for reasons other than an incomplete file.”

“I’ve been meaning to ask you about that, by the way. “

“So you have.”

They both sat there staring at each other in silence for what could have been hours. Suddenly Holmes leaned forward, putting his elbows on the table and said, “I know more than you would like, but nowhere near how much I would prefer.”

Still leaning back, he said “And what is it that you know, Mr. Holmes?”

“Now that is something I can’t tell you.”

“I see,” he said, leaning forward, “then I’m sure you know that I couldn’t possibly give you such information if I’m not getting anything in return.”

“What knowledge are you willing to share?”

“Now, that depends on what I’m going to get.”

They both leaned back; Holmes placed his hands on the table and said, “It seems that a bargain must be made, eventually. Just what is your price?”

“My price isn’t the top priority right now.”

Holmes removed his hands from the table and said, “Then just what is?”

“This.” He said, pulling out a mobile phone from his jacket pocket. He gave it a few flips before returning it to his pocket.

Besides a slight widening of the eyes, Holmes gave no indication of his surprise. He said, “That phone belongs, belonged, to my brother.”

He gave a little smirk before saying, “Yes, indeed it did.”

“What could I possibly do with a dead man’s mobile?”

Once more he removed the phone from his pocket, but this time he placed it on the table, a barrier between him and Holmes. He slipped his hands into the pockets of his trousers and said, “It’s his note.”

A slight nod.

“Why are you giving this to me?”

“But I’m not giving it to you, am I? I’m trading.”

Another nod.

“What would you like in return?”

He removed his hands from his pockets, leaned forward and placed his elbows on the table. “I would like to be able to go free.”

“Ah.”

“I know what you’re capable of, Mr. Holmes. My boss gave me more than instructions. You could let me leave this room without any consequences to speak of, if you so chose. What do you choose? Do you want the phone, or do you want me?”

“Can I have both?”

He chuckled, but quickly replied, “No.”

“Why should I listen to you? I am just as familiar with you as you are with me. I know that there is a very high possibility that the mobile sitting on the table is not what you say it is. It is a very popular model, after all.”

“Everything you say is true.”

“Is it now?”

“Yes.”

Leaning forward, almost menacingly, Holmes asked, “Now, the question is, are you the one lying?”

“That’s a smart question.”

“Well, I do like to think of myself as an intelligent person.”

They both chuckled, each thinking of a different man.

His phone beeped. They were each snapped out of their reverie, and he glanced at his phone.

Gotta get going, Tiger – JM

“Well, it appears Mr. Holmes that I have to go. I do hope the rest of your day goes swimmingly.”

“Same to you.”

He stood up from his chair, and walked out, leaving a man to stare pensively at the mobile lying innocently on the table. Little did he know that said man was hiding some very important information.

Sherlock Holmes wasn’t dead, he was currently staying in the man’s own flat. 

Neither was Moriarty, he was currently being spied on by that man’s most trusted.


End file.
